Adjusting coilover ride height

[hcbeck2689]

Hey guys, so on the new m3 I picked there is a set of bimmerworld ISC N1 coilovers installed. They are probably the cheapest you can buy so we will see how well they hold up. As it sits they handle amazing, much better than the oe zhp setup IMO. My problem is that they are way too low for my liking. My front tires rub, the back is too low relative to front, and the camber is set more negative than I would like it to be(worried about tread wear).

I have no clue on the first thing to do with them. I emailed the company and got a set of "instructions" that I will attach below. I will also attach some pictures. Please help me know what to do.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160416/2e74a339e8fe635ad12005f76c96d301.jpg
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160416/412672bca5369f5c656ae494a6f6f971.jpg
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160416/98eaf684063d604796e1ee922ff0f551.jpg
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160416/c58949f35656f6ce2e16178ebcd3f9fb.jpg
Rear:
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160416/63351922e084718be108edad14fb21c4.jpg
-Holden

[danewilson77]

These?

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160416/ffc05b9bd983bfceec0cf33261abdd68.jpg

Sent from an S6 Edge

[Johnmadd]

I also would like a "adjusting coilovers for dummies" write up. The instructions I have for my bc coilovers are similar, just seems like it should be easier to explain than that. :dunno

[hcbeck2689]

These?

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160416/ffc05b9bd983bfceec0cf33261abdd68.jpg

Sent from an S6 Edge

Yes Dane, I think those are them. I will add pictures to original post.

[danewilson77]

You should just be able to unlock the collars, front and back, with the provided spanner wrenches to adjust the ride height. Remember that the springs are the only thing that significantly affects ride height.

Sent from an S6 Edge

[danewilson77]

As far as dampening adjustment goes, you should just be able to play with the top adjustment knobs to tweak it in to your ride comfort/performance requirements.

Sent from an S6 Edge

[hcbeck2689]

You should just be able to unlock the collars, front and back, with the provided spanner wrenches to adjust the ride height. Remember that the springs are the only thing that significantly affects ride height.

Sent from an S6 Edge

I will claim ignorance and admit that I have no idea how to unlock collars. Also I don't think the car came with any wrenches:( I'm sure I can find some though. Maybe someone in the Mafia will be in Wilmington one day enjoying our beautiful Beaches and can give me a hand. Otherwise I'm sure I can find someone who knows how to do it here. I just have no fellow car wrencher friends here.

[Pip]

You see the two golden gear looking things in the middle next to the spring. They are close to each other like two nuts on a bolt holding the spring in place. Well...the bottom one is tight up against the top one holding the spring in place. Loosen the bottom one and the top will freely move to lower the spring or tighten the top and follow with the bottom to compress the spring. Make sense?

In order to get a higher ride height you want more of the threads showing so compressing the spring should do that. In reality it won't be compressing the spring but allowing more tube travel because you'll extend the tube side.

On my old motorcycle and my car I use screw drivers or a hex wrench. Anything will work really. You just need to break the "seal" by tapping the nut that is tight up against the other...lefty Lucy, righty tighty :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hcbeck2689]

You see the two golden gear looking things in the middle next to the spring. They are close to each other like two nuts on a bolt holding the spring in place. Well...the bottom one is tight up against the top one holding the spring in place. Loosen the bottom one and the top will freely move to lower the spring or tighten the top and follow with the bottom to compress the spring. Make sense?

In order to get a higher ride height you want more of the threads showing so compressing the spring should do that. In reality it won't be compressing the spring but allowing more tube travel because you'll extend the tube side.

On my old motorcycle and my car I use screw drivers or a hex wrench. Anything will work really. You just need to break the "seal" by tapping the nut that is tight up against the other...lefty Lucy, righty tighty :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That makes a bit more sense. I'm confused why there is no spring over my rear shock in the picture. Is this not the part or is it actually not a coilover?

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160419/cd8b4341a195de8f0d0b068589face77.jpg

[Pip]

The rear springs are not on the shock like the front strut. They are between the body and the control arm (I think). So no...not a coilover.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[danewilson77]

Like this. Thanks for assist Pip.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160419/a9376955bb584aba4da4017e29664c80.jpg

Sent from an S6 Edge

[sillieidiot]

For coils like this. You should be loosening the very bottom collar on the shock. Then you spin the entire threaded portion (by grabbing onto the spring itself and turning it) to the height that you desire. It's the same for the front/rear. The other two collars are for adjusting the spring pre-load.

[hcbeck2689]

Once springs are adjusted to my desired height I am assuming I need to have tires aligned. I want to bring camber back closer to stock so tires don't wear too fast. I am pretty sure this lit came with camber plates, but I don't even know where those things are or how to adjust. Should I take it to an Indy and have them do it or can I?
I plan on adjusting the next week.


-Holden

[danewilson77]

Indy alignment to near zero camber if you're not going to track it.

S7 Edge, out

[hcbeck2689]

Zero camber? I'm not going to track it but I still want some handling.

This is what I found on bimmerforums

"Street
Front
-2.5 deg camber
0.05 deg toe in
Rear
-1.5 deg camber
0.10 deg toe in"

The camber seems a bit on the negative side, but toe looks right. I might end up going 0.10 deg toe front as well.

Also by same guy, another thread

"Front
Camber: -2.0 to 2.5 deg (per side)
Toe: 0.10 total toe (or 0.10 to 0.20 deg total toe in for mostly highway driving)

Rear
Camber: -1.5 to -2 deg (per side)
Toe: 0.20 total toe in (IIRC this is 1/8" total toe in)"

I feel like that is a lot of camber for DD duties, but zero wouldnt suffice. Again, just my thoughts. I respect others opinions more than my own. Maybe I could cut that down to rear camber -1.0 and front camber -1.5?

Also, I'm not sure if I could have zero camber with out rubbing. Front tires rub inner fender when turning(only when turning left :dunno). Fenders are rolled all around and front wheels have spacers but not sure how much. It is a good bit though. Maybe 15cm, I'll have to measure.


Sorry one more question. Back of car should be lower than front by a little? Measure to fender lip of frame?


-Holden

[sillieidiot]

Do you have camber arms in the rear? If not, then it may not even be possible for you to get those values in the rear. I wouldn't go for 0 deg camber though. That would be even less than stock. It's definitely not going to be good for handling. I'm running a similar setting to the first set of alignment settings you listed. Just -1.7 for the rear instead. I also have 0 toe up front and 1/32" (per side) toe for the rear. Those were the lowest camber values that I could hit with my current wheels/height set up lol I have camber arms and plates. The toe is what is going to kill your tires more than the camber is. A lot of people recommended toe to be 0 all around, but I tried it and it makes the back feel like it's not planted. Seems to be fine on tires. I do rotate it pretty much every oil change though since I have a square set up.

[hcbeck2689]

Do you have camber arms in the rear? If not, then it may not even be possible for you to get those values in the rear. I wouldn't go for 0 deg camber though. That would be even less than stock. It's definitely not going to be good for handling. I'm running a similar setting to the first set of alignment settings you listed. Just -1.7 for the rear instead. I also have 0 toe up front and 1/32" (per side) toe for the rear. Those were the lowest camber values that I could hit with my current wheels/height set up lol I have camber arms and plates. The toe is what is going to kill your tires more than the camber is. A lot of people recommended toe to be 0 all around, but I tried it and it makes the back feel like it's not planted. Seems to be fine on tires. I do rotate it pretty much every oil change though since I have a square set up.

Yea I have camber arms. I am somewhere near -3deg in back and -1.5 deg up front. Those are just guesses though. It was like that when I bought the car.

[hcbeck2689]

NEED HELP

Ok. I adjusted the front no problem. But the back I am having trouble. I thought I just moved the same looking gold "nut" but am having trouble. When I try to twist it the gold nut above the shock the whole thing moves. I'll try and upload a video to be sure.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160512/0cab4186abf06901f4257941919f94f2.jpg


-Holden

[sillieidiot]

for the rears, you might have to do the height adjustment on the collar that is on top of the spring instead.

[hcbeck2689]

That is what I was trying to do. I looked online and it looks like I need to put a socket up through the bottom. I don't have a spanner wrench so don't know how to hold it in place. Maybe a oil wrench :dunno


-Holden

[sillieidiot]

That is what I was trying to do. I looked online and it looks like I need to put a socket up through the bottom. I don't have a spanner wrench so don't know how to hold it in place. Maybe a oil wrench :dunno


-Holden

On my coils, I just take out the whole spring and do it outside of the car and put it back in. Just take off the bolt that is connected to the shock, it should make things easier.

[danewilson77]

On my coils, I just take out the whole spring and do it outside of the car and put it back in. Just take off the bolt that is connected to the shock, it should make things easier.
This

S7 Edge, out